Sundial



June 2K3, 1931. H. NEuwaR'rH 1,811,183

SUNDIAL Filed Sept. 20, 1950 BY gaz/wwf A T TORNE Y Patented June 2 3, 1931 .UNITED STATES HERMAN NEUWIRTH, orY NEW Yonx, N. Y.

SUND'IAL Application med september 20,1930. serial No. 483,153.

This invention relates to sundials.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve the construction of devices of the character described, whereby sundials are provided having parts that are readily adjustable to the requirements for use at any latitude and for compensating for seasonal changes, which shall comprise few and simple parts yet form a neat appearing ornamental structure, which shall'be easily and securely set in a desired adjustment, and which shall be cheap to manufacture, and practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown various Vpossible illustrative embodimentsof this invention*d Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the sundial constructed to embody the invention. p

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, of the improved sun dial and mounting therefor showing the construction of the adjustable gnomon, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, showing a modified form of the improved adjustable gnomon construction.

Referring in detailto the drawings, 10 denotes a sundial constructed to embody the invention. Said dial is seen to comprise a circular face-plate 11, the upper or exposed side of which being engraved, printed or embossed with numerals 12 corresponding to the sun-light hours. Said numerals 12 are preferably of artistic form and are positioned to indicate the spaced radial shadow marker lines 121l which may also be engraved, printed or embossed on the side of the face-plate 11.

On the upper side of the face-plate 11 positioned centrally along a marker line 13al between said shadow marker line 13, an attach- 50 ment piece 14 is permanently mounted by any nut 19 is simply turned to vary the inclination suitable means as for example by spaced coun-.ersunkhead screw `15r 'inserted' up through the back side of the face-plate 11 as shown in Fig'. 2. The inner endv14a 'of'vsaid Y piece adjacent the center of the face-plate l llrterminates'inv a hingeV 16 for supporting a gnomon 17 for swingingmovement.

The gnomon 17 which is'triangular'shaped andhas an upper straightedge-17arl adapted to cast a shadow upon the face-plate 11 for 50 co-operating with the marker'line 13- and numerals 12 forindicating the time during sun-l light hours in the well understood manner.V

The end 17 of the lower side l170V ofthe gnomon 17 carries" an Vadjusting screw 18 which extends towards'the attachment piece I 1.4. A nut 19 preferablyv formed*l with a knurled edge isthreade'd on said'screw v18. The attachment piece 14 is provided withan opening 14a in register with the leading end i0 ofthe screw 18, said openingbeingadapted to receive the screw and permit the free move-rv mentY of the screwin and out thereof.- A` portion 14Z1'of the-openingV-14 is enlarged and has thenut; 1 9 snugly fittedtherein. The 75 nut 19 is thus retained in position by the attachment piece structure' but is permitted rotary movement for angularly adjusting the" gnomon 17 lwith respectto said attachment piece 14. v l v*In-order that the opening 14aV neatly fits about the screw 18, the inner end of said screw is pivoted tothe gnomon 17 as at-'20 to ermit the screw 18 to movelineally while the ,S

gnomon 17 swingsl arcuately.

The practicalutility of the sundial 10 will now be apparent. Thesundial 10 maybe' mounted upon a suitabl'epedestal or base B with :the gnomon 17 `ini-the plane of the earths meridianV and at right angles to the normal horizontal place so that the edge' 17ay of the gnomon 17 casts a shadowon thefaceplate.. during sun-light hours. vThe faceplate 11 ispermanently seteither in a normal horizontal plane or in a plane at slight angle to the horizontal plane. The gnomon 17 can then be adjusted for use at the latitude of installation and may be made to compensate for seasonal changes. To this endvthe of the gnomon edge 17a with respect to the face-plate 11, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3 a modiied form of the invention is shown in which the screw 18 is xedly mounted in position to project from the end 17?) of thegnomon 17 instead of being pivoted thereto as is sho-wn in Fig. 2. This latter construction has the opening 1111er into which the screw 18 extends made larger than in the form of the invention described -above and shown in Fig. 2 to provide for clearance during the swinging adjustment of the gnomon 17. The enlarged portion 114?) of the opening 114 in which the nut 19 isitted must also be made larger for the same reason. The gnomo-n 17 shown in Fig. 3, is also adjusted and set by simplyturning the nut 19 in the sameV manner as described above for the sundial 10.

vIt will ythus be seen that there is provided sundials whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

.As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or 'shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Ina sundial construction, an attachment piece adapted to be secured to the face-plate of the sundial, a. gnomon movably attached to one end of said piece, a screw projecting from said gnomon spaced from said end, and a nut threaded on said screw, said piece having a portion spaced from said end formed to engage said nut for permitting angular adjustment of the gnomon with respect to said piece. i

2. In a sundial construction, an attachment piece adapted to be secured to the faceplate of the sundial, agnomon, a hinge for fastening the gnomon to said piece, a screw pivoted at o ne endV to project from said gnomon at a spaced distance from said hinge, and a nut threaded on said screw, said piece having an opening in register with the free end of the screw, said opening being enlarged for receiving and retaining the nut to permit the angular adjustment of the gnomon with respect to said piece.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

HERMAN NEUWIRTH. 

